2024-25 MLB Offseason Recap: New York Mets

The Mets’ 2024 season was a wild one, as the Amazins went from bottom of the National League to two wins away from the World Series. Expectations will be even higher for the Mets in 2025, as New York was the winner of the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Notable Additions

• SP Griffin Canning (0.2 bWAR in 2024)
• SP/RP Clay Holmes (0.7 bWAR)
• SP Frankie Montas (0.6 bWAR)
• RP A.J. Minter (1.1 bWAR)
• OF Juan Soto (7.9 bWAR)

There was no free agent in the market this winter comparable to Juan Soto. Soto is a true generational talent, one who has arguably one of the best eyes in baseball history, coupled with prodigious power. The 26-year-old proved his value and then some last year when he hit 41 regular-season home runs and then blasted the home run that sent the Yankees to the 2024 World Series.

Now, Soto will take his talents south of the Whitestone Bridge.

The Mets gave Soto the largest contract in professional baseball history, locking him up for 15 years. Soto gives the Mets another dimension to their lineup, as he’ll not only act as support behind Francisco Lindor but also be in position once more to be a run producer.

Aside from Soto, the Mets focused on bolstering their pitching staff. But rather than being on the big pitching names, New York (NL) locked into the second tier of arms.

The Mets added splitter specialist Frankie Montas, who had a good 2024, despite some hiccups. However, the Mets won’t have Montas for at least the first month of the year. Griffin Canning will look for a fresh start after a down 2024 in Anaheim.

The most notable addition to the Mets’ rotation is Clay Holmes, who will be the team’s Opening Day starter. It’ll be a different role for Holmes, once the Yankees’ closer. The veteran arm was a starter in the Pirates’ Minor League system but excelled as a hard sinker/slider pitcher out of the pen.

A starter again, Holmes has been breaking out different pitches, including a changeup and cutter.

Notable Losses

• OF Harrison Bader (0.9 bWAR)
• DH J.D. Martinez (0.5 bWAR)
• RP Phil Maton (0.9 bWAR, 0.7 bWAR with Mets)
• RP Adam Ottavino (0.0 bWAR)
• INF Jose Iglesias (3.1 bWAR)
• SP Jose Quintana (2.5 bWAR)
• SP Luis Severino (1.6 bWAR)

This portion of the recap could have been significantly larger. The Mets had numerous free agents this winter, highlighted by Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea.

Alonso, the former NL Rookie of the Year who is among the game’s premier power bats, had a lengthy standoff with the Mets this winter. The 30-year-old was looking for a big payout, as he turned down a seven-year extension offer in 2023. However, that big deal never came to pass, and Alonso ultimately returned to Queens.

Manaea, who rejuvenated his career thanks in part to a deliver change, signed a three-year deal to come back.

Ryne Stanek and Jesse Winker, two other notable free agents, also re-signed with the Mets.

Still, there was a lengthy list of depatures.

The most notable losses were Jose Quintana and Luis Severino, two critical pieces to the Mets’ rotation last year.

Quintana was largely an unsung hero for the Mets. The left-hander, who joined the Brewers in March, was a reliable arm who could give hitters different looks, either with his two-seamer, changeup, or curveball.

Severino, meanwhile, became a completely different pitcher with the Mets. Rather than being a power pitcher looking for strikeouts, Severino became more optimal, using a sinker significantly more, plus a new sweeper. The right-hander, now with the Athletics, led the team in innings pitched (182).

What to Expect in 2025

With the “big three” of Alonso, Lindor, and Soto, along with Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo, the Mets have a premier offense. Any one of those players can hurt opposing teams — and all five did just that in 2024.

The big question for the Mets is whether their pitching staff can get the job done in 2025. The Mets have taken a significantly different approach over the first two years of the Cohen/Stearns era, opting for short-term deals with pitchers who are not necessarily considered elite but are effective at A) giving hitters different looks and B) filling the strike zone.

Right now, the arms in their rotation check both boxes. But, do the Mets have the depth to pull this off? Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas will both miss the start of 2025, while Christian Scott is unavailable for the entire year.

If more injuries pop up, it could mean that prospects Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell might have to take on important roles.